Black Friday: A frenzied American shopping tradition that begins earlier every year. For retail employees that means less time with their families, long work hours, deal-crazy customers who are grabbing items as fast as they can…sometimes even from each other. You’ll work with some really nice people and some really cranky ones too, when things get that busy people are notoriously impatient. Some of them seem to lose their ever-lovin’ minds! On other words, you may have to contend with some pretty outlandish behavior.That doesn’t mean that you have to feed into the chaos. Working black Friday has its own special energy. It doesn’t have to be a nightmare, here’s how to survive…and maybe even enjoy it.
Get a good night’s sleep or take a nap if you need to. When you’re well rested you are better able to stay calm under pressure and your problem solving skills will be sharper.
Prepare yourself mentally. Remind yourself you are in for a busy day. This is important for the entire busy holiday season. You need to be able to do your job quickly, efficiently and cheerfully – it’s one of reason’s your company hired your fabulous self!
Know your products and where they are located, especially sale or promotional items. You’ll save yourself a lot of stress if you know where things are. Take a cruise around the store before it opens to get the lay of the land. Write down prices, add-ons or alternatives that customers may be interested in.
Go to the bathroom before the doors open. There may not be time to make a trip once people are in the store. Another plus…it will still be sparkly clean before customers arrive.
Survival kit – bring your lunch, plenty of water and healthy snacks even if you usually hit the food court. Your break will be rushed enough as it is today.
Keep calm and carry on. Getting yourself worked up because you’re busy isn’t going to make your day go any better. Realize there are going to be customers who will be irritated, rude or even mean. If this happens to you don’t be tempted to snap back at them. Calmly listen to what they have to say and try to help them. I’ve found it disarms people to say in a genuine voice ‘I’m sorry you’re having such a tough day.’ This usually makes people realize that they are acting like an idiot and will often have them apologizing to you or even laughing at themselves. Be selective who you use this technique with…it can backfire with the wrong person.
Look for ‘the good people’. I promise they are out there too! The ones that are truly enjoying themselves, look at them as bright spots in you day. Share a laugh with them and let their positive energy help put the fun in your day.